


Real Life, Real Love

by tenderyeol



Series: My Love: short story compilation [5]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, friendship to relationship, mentions other ot12 members
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2018-12-18 19:47:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11881557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tenderyeol/pseuds/tenderyeol
Summary: Where you get to see how Chanyeol and Baekhyun's relationship evolved through real time.





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [moonlightbaek](https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonlightbaek/gifts).



> Dedicated to my best friend Sana! Thanks for bringing up the topic and for always being there for me.

When Baekhyun first entered SM he had this sensation deep down that reminded him he wouldn't get in, that he wouldn't make it through the audition, but, just like blinking, there he was standing in a room, training with his soon-to-be group members.

Chanyeol had been there for quite a long time when Baekhyun arrived and he felt a good aura coming from said boy, making him want to get closer, which quickly happened.

When they debuted as EXO members, Chanyeol and Baekhyun were already best friends. They were the closest among members, they understood each other sometimes even without words being shared and they were never uncomfortable around each other.

Chanyeol started realizing his feelings were changing to something stronger around the time they started recording for EXO Showtime. When he was watching Baekhyun, it looked like the boy was in his natural habitat, entertaining people, laughing so pleasantly. His heart didn't fail to ache at the adorable way Baekhyun struggled to wish him a happy birthday in front of the camera.

Baekhyun always warned himself to set a line and to never cross it, in order to never make Chanyeol- or whoever would be the possible lover- feel weird. He remembered clearly the night they were laying alone in their shared hotel room in silence when the serious talk started.

_"Baekhyunee, what do you think about love?" Chanyeol had asked him, dreamingly looking at the ceiling, looking at him once and then back at the ceiling._

_"Well, it's a beautiful thing, right?" his heart started malfunctioning "But it's also dangerous and it hurts,"_

_"Not that silly, I know what love is!" Chanyeol laughed a bit "I meant how many lines can love cross? Are you open minded about it? Because I am and I was hoping I could talk with you about it, for help,"_

_"Well I'm as open minded as it gets since I figured out I'm gay a long time ago," like a weight being suddenly lifted, Baekhyun said it "But please don't tell the others, I'll come out when I'm ready. It's just that I really needed to say it and I trust you to not judge me. So why do you need help?"_

_"Well I wasn't expecting that but now I know you won't judge me," and he calmly laughed again but Baekhyun noticed he was nervous "I think I might be bisexual or even gay. I mean, I feel like I'm falling for someone I probably shouldn't because it won't be accepted but I want to accept it myself and I wanted to know if you would judge. You know, because you're my best friend and I wouldn't want to lose you for that,"_

_"You will never lose me over that! I hope I can be the first to know who that someone is. Now let's go to sleep,"_

But Baekhyun knew the line was useless when his heart started beating differently whenever Chanyeol gave him attention and spoke those sweet words towards him.

That way, both boys started silently growing feelings that they tried to ignore, only for the sake of not losing the unbreakable friendship that was born as soon as their eyes met.


	2. Part Two

It was so hard for Chanyeol to lose Kris because even though he had more ten brothers there for him, he couldn’t deny that he was close with the older boy who left.

However, Chanyeol is not one to cry and spill sadness in front of others and so he waited until he had alone time to actually let it all out. He finally found said time when most members went out to eat, including his roommate Baekhyun and he decided to stay home for some alone time.

After eating the dinner Kyungsoo cooked for him and Jongin, the members who stayed behind, he immediately went to his room and sat on the bed, crying…

…and losing track of time.

Baekhyun had an amazing meal that night but he felt unsure about leaving Chanyeol behind, knowing too well how he was. What Baekhyun wasn’t expecting was that he would find the boy he started to love still crying when he got home.

When Chanyeol looked up and straight into Baekhyun’s eyes, clumsily trying to wipe away the tears fast as to never touch the subject (that his happy ball self was indeed crying) the main vocal had no words. He just couldn’t deal with it actually happening in front of him.

Chanyeol’s body was suddenly rushed with a fuzzy feeling he had never experienced so strongly before when Baekhyun held his face and trailed every inch of it with his eyes like the person in front of him was a complete stranger. He felt guilty for the concern that was so obvious in Baekhyun’s beautiful eyes but he couldn’t avoid loving the feeling so much.

Baekhyun had one leg at each side of Chanyeol’s waist and was sitting in the bed in between Chanyeol’s legs, pulling him into a close hug.

“Never ever again be afraid of crying in front of me, you hear me Park Chanyeol? Your feelings make you who you are, don’t hide them from me; and I promise I won’t keep mine away from you,” He eased the boy who was still crying, making him cry even harder.

  
Chanyeol would be lying if he said he had never imagined himself with his head in between Baekhyun’s shoulder and neck but he surely didn’t imagine himself crying his heart out while he was being comforted by the smaller boy.

He always thought that Baekhyun needed protection, not only due to his height but also due to his personality and he wanted to be the one to protect him; now said boy that was supposed to need his help was helping him.

Baekhyun was still patting himself in the back for the courage he had all those months ago when, in his usual conversations with Luhan, he felt that he was now the one that needed a shoulder to cry on.

“Baekhyunee, I’m leaving,” Luhan told him. He used the same sad tone that he used by the time they debuted, when he told him that the crush he had all those years on Sehun was starting to get unbearable. Since then Baekhyun and Luhan had helped each other in expressing feelings and every week they spoke on Saturday night before going to their rooms to sleep with a cleaner conscience.

“Please tell me you told Sehun first hyung,” Baekhyun whispered, trying to save the tears for later.

“I did: he started crying and confessed to me, saying it wasn’t the way he wanted things to go. But when I told him I was thinking about confessing before leaving, to leave with no regrets and just in case he ended up hating me, he just laughed and kissed me. Oh Sehun kissed me, Baekhyun, we’re dating now. Yet I’m still leaving because I’m tired and I need to. However I know this is a fight I won’ fight alone: Sehun will be there for me. Will you?”

Baekhyun just nodded and prayed for his voice not to break when he said “I’ll miss you hyung,” and hugged Luhan tight and lovingly. They had this secretly close friendship that both were really proud of and they knew it wouldn’t disappear.  
Baekhyun wished Luhan a good night and walked as calmly as possible towards his shared room, only to run as soon as he spotted Chanyeol sitting on his bed, holding his phone.

The fuzzy extraordinary feeling rushed through Chanyeol again when he felt his back hitting the bed while Baekhyun’s body laid on top off his but it was quickly replaced with worry when he felt the other’s body shaking with sobs.  
Baekhyun buried his face deeper on Chanyeol’s neck, feeling a big, comforting hand tracing up and down on his back while the other was rested on top of his head.

“Want to talk about it?” he said with the softest voice he could pull off.

Baekhyun nodded against his neck and felt embarrassed to be on top of Chanyeol, started panicking which is unusual to him.

“God, I’m sorry I jumped on you, I’m too heavy let me just,” he started getting up and almost squealed like a little girl when Chanyeol held him stronger in his arms, making sure he couldn’t leave.

“Don’t ever call yourself heavy again! Let’s just stay like this, it’s comfortable,” Chanyeol admitted and Baekhyun felt his cheeks too hot “Just start speaking whenever you feel like it,”

Baekhyun fixed himself on top of Chanyeol, resting his face in his chest and calming down at his heart beat, even though it was faster than normal. He chose to believe it was connected to the fact that Chanyeol was still scared that Baekhyun had jumped on him and that it had nothing to do with the fact that they were laying like that.

After that, Baekhyun told Chanyeol everything about Luhan leaving and Sehun, only hiding the fact that he and Luhan began speaking every week not only to talk about Luhan’s love for Sehun, but also about Baekhyun’s love for the boy who was holding him right now.

That night they slept together, hugging each other and both concluded that losing Kris and Luhan had only brought them closer.


	3. Part Three

The members were okay with the fact that Tao had to leave as well.

Of course they were sad but it was for a greater good and they would get through it together so let it be the way it has to be.

They were shooting for their new music video for Love Me Right and Baekhyun, who had just finished his solo shots, decided to go search for Chanyeol. Maybe the warm smile of the one he loved would make the tiredness go away.

“Baekhyunee, what are you doing here?” Chanyeol asked him when he had a break of his group shot with Sehun, Jongin and Minseok.

“Oh, I was done for the day so after changing clothes and taking off my makeup I came to search for you,” Baekhyun answered, finally looking up from his phone and wow.

Chanyeol looked absolutely great, standing close to Baekhyun with his beautiful smile and with his newly dyed white hair. It made him get a bit shy at his bare faced and tired state, like Chanyeol had never seen him like that before.

“-you okay? Just go home, I’m almost done don’t worry. Baekhyun?” Baekhyun realized he wasn’t listening.

“You look stunning,” he blurted out, something that would happen sometimes yet this time he felt deeply embarrassed. He had told Chanyeol multiple times that he looked good, same with all of the EXO members, but stunning?

“W-well thank you but really, go home, you look tired. Take care,” Chanyeol gave him a quick hug and went back to recording.

In the recording site, Chanyeol’s heart was beating like crazy and in the car on his way back home, Baekhyun’s heart mimicked the action.

He had to confess, he had to use the plan in his mind and risk it all, just like his sister advised him to.

_“Chanyeol, why are you hiding from the person to whom you swore you would never hide?”_

_“Stop being such a good older sister, I love you,”_

When all the recordings for their repackage album ended and they had the tiny break in between that and promoting, Chanyeol finally took his chance.

He was about to waste a perfect calm night when he could’ve slept to his heart’s content to confess to the love of his young life and the fear of probably losing Baekhyun rushed through Chanyeol’s veins like it was part of his blood.

He went to sleep around midnight, when Baekhyun did the same, or at least he pretended. When he was sure the other boy was asleep, he exited the room with his phone and a blanket so the sound of the alarm he set up on his phone wouldn’t wake Baekhyun up. Then he slept until six am, went to get the suit he hid in Kyungsoo’s room and got ready.

It was now half past seven am and Chanyeol was back in his room, sitting on his bed, waiting for Baekhyun to wake up at any minute since the boy could never sleep too long.

One hour and a half later Baekhyun opened his eyes to see Chanyeol sitting on the other side of the room wearing a suit, white hair styled up, serious expression in his face and a letter next to him.

“I’m pretty sure I’m not dreaming… Am I?”

“Oh, good morning! Thank God you’re up but I’m so nervous ugh,” Chanyeol said while getting up really quickly, fixing his suit and holding the letter.

“Why are you nervous? And why are you on a suit? ARE YOU GETTING MARRIED? God, I’m dreaming,” Baekhyun said, rubbing his eyes in the end.

“You’re not dreaming silly, don’t make this harder!” Baekhyun never heard Chanyeol sounding so panicked “Here, I want you to have this,” he said while giving him the letter.

It had “From the one in charge of fire; to the one in charge of light” written in the back and Baekhyun tried not to laugh at it but then when he actually opened the letter he himself started feeling nervous.

_“Just like there is no fire without light, there’s no me without you”_

That was so cheesy but just so romantic and there were no words that Baekhyun could think of except “I love you” but then it hit him; was Chanyeol confessing?

“Say something, was it too cheesy? Maybe I really should’ve just bought you flowers, come to you and say ‘Hello Byun Baekhyun, I love you’ but I wanted to do something special. I even tried to get ready on my own but I feel weird, maybe I’m used to go around with makeup. What am I saying?!” Chanyeol sighed and held Baekhyun’s hands slowly, as to give him a chance to run away “Remember when I said I was falling for someone I probably shouldn’t? And that you wanted to be the first to know who it was, when I was ready? Well, it was you at the time, it’s still you and it will always be you. I love you Byun Baekhyun, so much it makes my heart do all this weird things that I wasn’t used to before I met you,”

“Chanyeol,” he started but got interrupted.

“Wait. I wasn’t used to this feelings before and to be honest, I’ll never be. You’re just overwhelming, absolutely beautiful, amazingly talented and I really don’t wish to lose you but,” now it was the time for Baekhyun to interrupt him.

“Oh my God Chanyeol, calm down! You’re talking like it’s the last time you’ll see me! Have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, when we spoke on that night I was already falling head over heels for you? I love you, so, so much,”

And just when Chanyeol thought that Baekhyun was pulling him in for a hug, Baekhyun pulled him down instead, making their lips touch.

If anyone had come in at the moment it would’ve been rather funny: a boy wearing a plain white t-shirt and some pyjama shorts confidently pulling a taller boy wearing a suit, whose eyes were open wide in shock, down for a kiss.

It was just a peck that lasted longer than pecks usually do because Baekhyun wanted Chanyeol to feel comfortable enough and to relax a bit. Then they could and would kiss over and over again.

When he pulled away and smiled at the taller, he felt arms wrapping around his waist and pulling him closer, this time for a proper kiss, a sweet yet deep kiss that both were surprisingly looking forward to for the longest time.

“Does this mean you’ll date me?” Chanyeol asked, squishing Baekhyun’s cheeks.

“Of course I will! I love you,” Baekhyun said, still being squished.

“I love you too, so much,” the other replied, kissing his best friend’s nose in the end.

Best friend? Well, of course they’re still best friends; but now it’s so much more and it’s going to last a lifetime if everything goes as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is basically the end of this work but please stay for the extra chapter! It's a really important message.


	4. Extra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is basically a conclusion and a big thank you so while I'm at it, thank YOU for reading my books and showing them so much love!

No matter in what EXO era you are reading this, if you ship Chanyeol and Baekhyun together then let’s believe that they told the members about their relationship and were accepted, that they’re still together, after all these years and honestly, they couldn’t be happier.

The truth is, I just want to see our boys happy and if they’re happy together, so be it. If they're not then whatever, I had fun spending my teenage years showing them love.

They inspire me in so many ways and I just want them to get all the love they deserve.

The biggest thank you to EXO: for inspiring me, for making me feel better when I’m at my worst and for making me believe that I can and must follow my dreams.

                                                                                  **_The End_**


End file.
